Sustainable Bamboo Flooring

From Swikipedia

Contents 1 Introduction 2 Brief Description 2.1 Benefits of using Bamboo for Sustainable Flooring: 2.2 Limitations of using Bamboo as a Sustainable Flooring Material:

Introduction

Bamboo, an attractive alternative flooring material, is rapidly becoming an important plant in the contemporary green movement. The species of bamboo used for flooring is commonly known as "Moso". It is a fast growing renewable grass, which serves as a natural anti-bacterial, water resistant and extremely durable flooring material.
Bamboo flooring is made from the canes of the bamboo plant which can grow up to a hundred feet and can be between 45cm and 60cm in width. These canes are split and then flattened before they can be glued together under intense pressure and then made either into planks, tiles or strips of laminated bamboo flooring.

Brief Description

Benefits of using Bamboo for Sustainable Flooring:

1. Being a grass, bamboo grows much faster as compared to wood. Moso bamboo can grow up to 47 inches in 24 hours and 78½ feet high in 40 to 50 days. It takes about 3–5 years for bamboo to reach full maturity. Traditional hard woods can take 20 – 120 years to mature. Thus, it has gained a reputation of being eco-friendly and highly renewable source of material
   
2. Bamboo can be harvested without the need for replanting, and requires minimal fertilization or pesticides, as the root system is left intact when it is harvested
   
3. Bamboo floors prove to be much stronger as well denser than hardwood floors
   
4. Bamboo certified to the standards of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) meets criteria for environmental sustainability and social responsibility, and several flooring products are available with this option
   
5. Bamboo can sequester up to 70% more carbon per year than a hardwood forest, keeping the carbon footprint low
   

Also, due to its advantages, bamboo is recognized as a green material under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building certification.

Limitations of using Bamboo as a Sustainable Flooring Material:

1. Deforestation: Some forests are being cleared to plant more bamboo plants
   
2. Eco-hazardous: For installing the flooring, instead of natural adhesives, when formaldehyde is used as a binder, it turns out to be hazardous and toxic

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_flooring

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamboo_flooring

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/tv/go-for-the-green/green-brain-bamboo-grow.html

http://greenbydesign.com/2008/12/11/impress-your-friends-with-these-fun-facts-about-bamboo/

http://www.furniturehomedesign.com/eco-design/eco-friendly-bamboo-flooring/